


Dance for the emperor

by Dark_Earl



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Aesthetics, Consort Obi-Wan Kenobi, Drabble, Gen, Jedi Temple (Star Wars), Order 66 Didn't Happen (Star Wars), Songfic, Star Wars Galactic Empire Era, obisheev
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:27:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28755864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Earl/pseuds/Dark_Earl
Summary: Order 66 didn't happen. Obi-Wan dances for the emperor.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Sheev Palpatine, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Sheev Palpatine
Comments: 9
Kudos: 56





	Dance for the emperor

**Author's Note:**

> This is NOT part of Arranged marriage AU, this is an independent work.
> 
> I don't even know what's happening there. But it was inspired by the song ["Spring Day at the Royal Palace"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yObLdle_Ubw&ab_channel=Sinovial) from a magnificent cdrama called "The Longest Day In Chang'An".

_At night she must adorn herself,  
Dancing in rainbow skirts before the emperor.  
Who knew a seductive waistline  
Would soon convince the emperor to smile.  
_

The sun had long passed the zenith and was slowly sinking towards the horizon. It would soon be lost among the Coruscant skyscrapers and out of sight, plunging the Jedi Temple, now the Imperial Residence, into twilight.

Obi-Wan watched the city as the silent maids who were forbidden to speak to him dressed him up to meet the emperor. The cut of the clothes reminded him of his old Jedi robes, only there were much more layers, the fabric was much richer, instead of the standard beige linen - bright, multi-colored silks; a heavy belt and a saber no longer hung on his waist, instead of his usual boots - light, soft shoes. The emperor even issued a decree that no one except the consort was allowed to wear such a cut, and the standard Jedi costume was completely banned.

As the maid wrapped a wide, colorful sash around his waist, Obi-Wan took a deep breath to prevent it from being tied too tight, as it sometimes had happened before.

The maids, too, were new to him. When he was a Jedi, he always did everything himself and lived a humble life, as befitted a servant of the Force. Now he had spacious rooms, rich clothes, maids and numerous guards. He slept on a soft bed, ate delicious food, got enough sleep and almost didn’t think about everyday things.

The sleeves of his robe were longer than before, but the fabric was lighter and, with a wave of his hand, repeated the movement in a smooth train. It was uncomfortable at first. Over time, Obi-Wan got used to it. He still had to wear such long sleeves only for special occasions.

While one maid was fixing on his head a gilded massive tiara, complementing the solemn look, the second applied a thin layer of white powder to his face. His appearance was closely monitored: Obi-Wan no longer wore a beard, and his hair fell in thick waves to his shoulders. He didn't know why it was necessary to lighten his face with powder, but he suspected that this way he looked even younger.

When the outfit was finished, one of the maids handed him a small bunch of lilacs, then they both stepped aside, allowing Obi-Wan to look at himself in the mirror. The reflection didn’t evoke any special feelings in him. He may no longer wear Jedi robes, but it wasn’t clothes that defined a person.

The maids escorted him to the door and released him from the spacious room into the hallway, where the clone troopers were already waiting for him. Obi-Wan was constantly under supervision, and to be honest, it was even comforting. The clones who served directly at the Imperial Residence didn’t wear helmets, and seeing their faces was an unexpected relief for the former Jedi. They didn’t manage to do what Sidious planned for them, they didn’t destroy the Jedi, even if they began to consider them traitors, but that already was a great victory for Obi-Wan.

They walked slowly towards the throne room, which Sidious had arranged for himself at the end of the building, so that sunlight would be there both during sunrise and sunset. The Temple itself has changed little. Of course, the Sith ordered to remove all the statues of the great masters and to hang the imperial banners on the walls, and instead of the Jedi, ministers and generals were now here, but everything else remained intact.

They met no one on the way to the throne room. When they reached the massive door, where guards were also on duty, they saluted each other.

“The Emperor is waiting for you,” one of them said and opened the door.

Obi-Wan nodded gratefully and stepped into the wide hall.

There were tall windows on either side, and golden sunset light flooded the entire space and reflected off the marble floor. At the end of the hall was the imperial throne on which Darth Sidious sat.

When the door closed behind Obi-Wan and the sound echoed through the empty hall, he was left alone with the Emperor. Palpatine looked up at him with a weary gaze, and Obi-Wan, walking a long way in small steps, stood before the throne. For a few moments they looked into each other's eyes. Palpatine didn’t look as old as he did during the Clone Wars. He looked like his old self again, like when he was still a senator of Naboo in the Galactic Republic, and Obi-Wan wondered at times if the Sith could find the secret of immortality or if he was pretending to be a frail old man all along.

Bowing his head obediently to the Sith, Obi-Wan handed him the lilacs and greeted him.

“Your Majesty.”

Palpatine accepted the flowers from his hands, and Obi-Wan straightened and took a couple of steps back. The sun falling directly on him blinded his eyes a little, but he didn’t even wince. He didn’t take his eyes off the emperor while he looked at the lilac with a thoughtful look. After a few long minutes of absolute silence, Palpatine finally said:

“Dance for me, Obi-Wan.”

He bowed again, moved a little further from the throne and began his slow dance.

The layers of clothing made it difficult to move, but over time Obi-Wan got the hang of it. His dance, as always, consisted of slow movements of fencing forms and resembled real training, just like in his youth, when he was just a Padawan.

Obi-Wan still didn’t fully believe that he had managed to convince the Sith Lord not to kill the Jedi, but only to disband their Order. In exchange, Sidious asked Obi-Wan to stay with him as the Imperial consort. It was too little sacrifice to save thousands upon thousands of Jedi, and Obi-Wan readily exchanged himself for the lives of members of the Order. Several months have passed since then. Obi-Wan didn’t have any authority or power, but he still had the Force, and in the Force he felt that his brothers and sisters were alive and that they accepted his sacrifice. If Palpatine asked to dance for him, so be it.

Lost in a dance, as if in meditation, Obi-Wan thought that Palpatine's reign as emperor surprisingly wasn’t that bad. It seemed that peace had indeed come to the Galaxy. The people continued to live as they lived and glorified their new ruler for ending the war. Coruscant was undergoing massive works to improve conditions on the lower levels. Assistance was provided to sectors affected by the war. Slowly but surely, smart trade reforms were carried out.

Whether this was all part of another cunning plan or not, Obi-Wan couldn't know.

The golden the sun reflected in his heavy tiara and the light jumped like bunnies over the bright fabric of his robes. The Force felt calm and oddly balanced. When Obi-Wan gave the Emperor a quick glance, he saw Palpatine sitting relaxed on the throne, watching him dance with a soft smile.


End file.
